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by mylifeissocoollike



Series: but ohh did our souls know how to dance [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marauders AU, Muggle AU, Soulmate AU, but not really, flower shop au, jily, jily au, marlene mary sirius and remus are all mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 01:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11174274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeissocoollike/pseuds/mylifeissocoollike
Summary: In a world where you know your soulmate when they say your name, Lily takes a summer job at a flower shop, in hopes that she can trick the universe into finding hers.





	Home

The flower shop had been Mary’s idea one night when they were walking back to their shared flat after a night at the pub. It was the summer before their last year of university and they were all looking for work. Lily had found an internship with a small newspaper but it was _for experience_.

“They’re exploiting you is what it is. And now you need to find an actual paying job on top of it so you can make rent,” her dad had grumbled. Her mum had suggested that Lily move back in with them for the summer but it was quickly shot down. She wasn’t giving up her freedom that easily and she’d do whatever it took to make it work.

So that night when Mary saw a “Help Wanted” sign in a flower shop window she had squealed and told Lily that she _had_ to work there. Lily didn’t quite understand the enthusiasm at first. But after a few minutes of Marlene and Mary explaining, it finally hit her.

Perhaps, by working there, she could trick fate and hear her name said by the countless people who would buy flowers from her. Maybe one of them would be her soulmate.

It was silly really, falling for the delusion that this summer job could lead to summer love. No. Lifelong love if she was really hoping to finally find her soulmate. Perhaps it was her annoyance over having a name that could be so easy to hear in conversation and yet no one who had said it in her twenty two years had given her that feeling. Marlene always said the moment Dorcas first said her name was like an electric shock. It was a lightning strike that made her bones ache, her fingers prickle and her heart pound.

Despite the hopes she had, about six weeks into the job Lily knew that it had been a stupid idea for two reasons.

One: No one said “I’d like a lily” they always asked “I’d like some lilies please.” Her soulmate could’ve been any one of them but she wouldn’t have known because her name wasn’t _lilies_.

Two: Hardly any customers cared enough about her to read her name tag and actually address her by name.

It had been a stupid, hopeless idea that was leading nowhere. But she kept working because she really did enjoy working there. The owners were nice and the customers were always happy with the arrangements. It was a nice break from the fast pace of the newspaper office. And truthfully, every time she thought about giving up a small part of her heart gave a tug and whispered “stay.”

On one particularly slow day she was rearranging some flowers and admonishing herself for being so impatient.

“What do you even need your soulmate for right now? You’re not even out of university for heaven’s sake! You might not meet them until you have a job, or have done some travelling- ugh what if they’re not even in Britain!?”

A throat cleared behind her and she jumped a little. She hadn’t even heard the bell chime at the door that always signaled customers coming and going. She turned around, a larger sunflower still in hand, and there he was. That small part of her heart that had been whispering to her gave a little leap and she quietly imagined shushing it like she would Marlene. It had no business leaping at the sight of this man. He had never even said her name. He probably wasn’t the one.

Which saddened her the tiniest bit because everything about him wonderful.

* * *

James had been going into the flower shop at least twice- sometimes four times- a week for the past five weeks. Originally it was only to buy some flowers for a visit to his mum’s. But then he met Lily and he was head over heels for her.

“Can I be honest?” he asked the third time he went. She was ringing up his purchase- a bouquet of tulips- and she looked up at him with a sort of startled expression on her face. This was more than they’d ever talked before other than the normal polite pleasantries.

“You don’t like the tulips? I knew red didn’t seem like your color, how about some nice white roses or hyacinths maybe?” she trailed off, looking at him expectedly.

He stared at her dark red hair, falling gently from its tie and fought hard not to say, _red is my favorite color._

“I really don’t have a need for this many flowers. I just like seeing you.” He blurted out instead. Lily had laughed at this and told him that they have plenty of other options and he can buy single flowers instead if he’d like to.

So he started to come more often. And flirt more often too. Sometimes he’d buy a single flower to keep in a slender vase in his flat. Others he’d buy a whole bouquet to bring to his mum. Remus and Sirius would laugh whenever he came home with more flowers.

“Why haven’t you told her your name yet?” Remus asked one night.

“I don’t know,” he mused. “I guess it just feels so nice. I don’t want it to be ruined when I don’t get that feeling and know she’s not my soulmate.”

“But you hope she is,” Sirius mused. “You know her name because it’s on her badge right? So why not say it and see how she reacts?”

James decided to do just that. He entered the flower shop and found her arranging some flowers, talking quietly to herself. He realized that he loved that she did that and it made him want to kick himself. How could he fall in love with all the little things about her? What if it wasn’t mean to be?

But when she turned around and smiled at the sight of him it made his heart melt. It had to be her.

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him and he realized he had been staring awkwardly at her for too long. So he cleared his throat again and gestured lamely at the sunflower in her hands. “Is that one spoken for?”

“No, would you like this one today?” When he nodded, she laughed and started walking to the till to ring him up. “You’re acting awfully strange, cat got your tongue?”

“Just have something on my mind.” Lily nodded like she knew the feeling. Before he knew it he had paid and she was handing him his flower. She had even wrapped the end in a bit of brown paper and tied a ribbon around it. His fingers brushed hers when he took it and her sharp inhale of breath matched his own.

He had to stop doing this. It was now or never. But as he took a deep breath to say her name, she suddenly said, “Have a lovely day, James.”

* * *

She had known his name for a week. It was the day he had finally not had enough cash and used his card to pay for a particularly expensive arrangement.

“We’re sending it to my mate Sirius’ mum with a note wishing her a happy birthday,” he crowed.

“That’s very nice of you.” She peered at his card while he distractedly patted the flowers. James. Such a lovely name, it fit him stupidly well.

“Oh no it isn’t, she hates roses and is allergic to daisies. But don’t worry, she’s a complete arse- an awful woman who totally deserves it.”

Lily had almost said his name then and there to get it over with but she had been so amused by his stories. It was so easy to get caught up in the dream of being with him always and getting to meet these hilarious friends of his that she hadn’t wanted it to end.

After a few days of seeing him and still not saying it, Mary and Marlene had convinced her that she had to do it the next time she saw him. She agreed, partly because she didn’t think that she’d have to see him so soon. But she wasn’t one to go back on her word so she took a deep breath and did it, her finger tips still tingling from where they had brushed his.

At first she thought the look on James’ face was just confusion over the fact that she somehow knew his name. But then it was like his whole body tensed up and as she looked closer at his hazel eyes, she saw his pupils dilate. She wasn’t exactly sure but it almost looked like he was leaning toward her- as though some invisible force was pulling him toward her. He gazed intently at her with a face full of burning emotion and Lily’s heart started beating even faster. Every hair on her arms stood up because she _knew_ that lightning had struck him and was coming for her next.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do it so suddenly,” she said quietly as she stepped out from behind the counter. James slowly took her hand in his and pulled her closer.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything, Lily” he said as he slowly brushed his lips to her forehead.

As soon as he said it her body felt like it was electrified. She felt like everything inside her may burst. She wanted to kick herself for avoiding this feeling for so long. From the moment she met him she had known and now she couldn’t believe she had ever doubted the possibility that he was meant for her.

Lily gazed up at James’ beaming face and her heart leapt with joy. This time, it whispered “home.”

**Author's Note:**

> written for [@hufflepuffheadmistress](https://hufflepuffheadmistress.tumblr.com/) as a request for my 2k follower celebration on tumblr- [come celebrate with me!](http://swearwolflupin.tumblr.com/post/161111857315/im-celebrating-reaching-2k-ive-been-on-this)


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